. >> reporter: former speaker of the house newt gingrich not only endorsed todd akin on monday, he predicted other republicans will follow his lead. >> i don't see how any national republican in good conscience after tomorrow has any choice except to say that the choices for the republican nominee, i am for the republican nominee. >> reporter: gingrich went on to help akin raise money on monday. mike hucka bewill reportedly campaign with him too, but republican support like this has been hard to come by for the missouri congressman since he said this last month. when asked if abortion should be legal for victims of rape. >> it seems to me, first of all, from what i understand from doctors, that's really rare. if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. >> reporter: those comments outraged democrats and many republicans. they also reversed the momentum in the missouri senate race before the state was considered a likely republican win. now polls show that democratic senator claire mccaskill has the advantage. akin has repeatedly apologized for wha